Santiago Ponzinibbio (right)(image via UFC/YouTube)

By FCF Staff

After getting back on track at UFC Vegas 28 this past weekend, with a thrilling win over Miguel Baeza, Santiago Ponzinibbio is targeting a ranked contender next.

The welterweight faced Baeza (10-1) on the main card of Saturday’s event and outscored the previously, undefeated prospect for a decision. The victory returned Ponzinibbio (28-4) to the win column, as the Argentinean fighter was coming off a KO loss to Li Jingliang in January.

Following the pivotal win, Ponzinibbio had this to say, when asked about who he wants to fight next (quotes via MMA Fighting).

“I’d really like to get back to the rankings,” Ponzinibbio said. “They give me a tough guy. Maybe Vicente Luque, he’s [doing] very well, we can do an exciting fight. I respect him a lot. I think we can do a great fight. Maybe the guy that loses between Stephen Thompson and Gilbert Burns. For the guy that’s going to win, [they’re] probably going to go to the belt. The guy that loses between them is a really good fight for me.

“Show the world I am back. I can be champion of the world. I can stay with the best fighters in the world. For sure, I’m going to do an exciting fight again.”

Ponzinibbio, who has fought just twice since 2018, also had this to say.

“Hopefully, I’m back to the rankings. I won eight of my last nine fights, I have 17 fights for the company, 14 victories. I’m No. 8 in the world, I do a lot of things hopefully I get back to the rankings and get a bigger fight.”

Thompson and Burns are scheduled to fight on July 10 at UFC 264. Luque submitted former champ Tyron Woodley in March and is not currently booked for a bout.